Major League Baseball’s international audience continues to grow through superstars like Shohei Ohtani, who shocked the baseball world with his two-way talent as a hitter and a pitcher when he joined the Angels in 2018. After entering the free agent market, he moved from Anaheim, California, to Hollywood to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, netting him one of the largest contracts in sports history. Outside of his on-the-field achievements, Ohtani is a New Balance athlete, launching his signature sneaker, the Ohtani 1, in 2024. Now, ahead of MLB’s Tokyo Series, which pits the Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs, Ohtani, and New Balance have prepared a clothing collection and a special 990v6.
New Balance’s press release states that the model will be exclusively released online in Japan as part of the Made for Shohei Ohtani Capsule Collection. The collection also includes three exclusive baseball-inspired apparel items that will only launch at The Ohtani Tokyo Pop-Up Experience, which will take place in Shibuya from March 15 to March 23.
Following this announcement, official images of Ohanti's 990v6 appeared. The pair comes with premium materials, as you'd expect from a Made in USA release, including full-grain leather, perforated nubuck, and mesh. Cream hues envelop the mudguard, midfoot panel, heel overlay, and eyelets, while the mesh base comes in a deep navy blue hue.
Perforated nubuck overlays land on the toe, midfoot, and collar coming in a contrasting green shade that matches the mesh found along the top of the tongue. Although everything on the upper, including the New Balance text on the tongue, the N logo on the midfoot, 990 stamped on the lateral heel, and the Made in USA logos on the spine of the heel, remains untouched, the insole contains our only nod to Shohei as his logo is placed next to the brand's NB logo. Finishing the sneaker is the two-tone FuelCell-cushioned foam midsole in green and cream and a black rubber outsole.
As for the mainline collection, available now on New Balance’s website, they’ve prepped a series of clothing items, like a woven nylon jacket, tees, performance tops, and pants that all feature Ohtani’s logo.
“At its core, Shohei’s signature mark is about a commitment he made as a young boy who loved the game to have constant forward momentum, and even at the peak of his craft, to push further than anyone thought possible,” says Evan Zeder, Director of Global Sports Marketing for Baseball at New Balance. “The inspiration behind his signature collection deeply represents his personal values and ours as a brand, and this next evolution reflects that. New Balance is so proud of Shohei after such a historic year, and we look forward to what is to come this season.”
The Shohei Ohtani x New Balance 990v6 Made in USA will release exclusively in Japan online through New Balance’s website in the coming weeks. As of now, pricing information has not been announced. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via New Balance
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com